This invention relates to a circuit arrangement for detecting a short circuit of a load in series with a power MOSFET.
When using power ICs, e.g., in complex wiring systems of motor vehicles, for example, short circuits can occur for various reasons when the load is bridged. In this case the power MOSFET is subjected to a short circuit load on the order of several kW. Conventional methods for detecting overload by determining the temperature of the power MOSFET are not very effective in short circuits because these methods are relatively slow and the MOSFET can be destroyed in the time required for the electronic breaker to respond.